Manibela: Strike ‘successful’, MMDA: Traffic disruption ‘minimal’

The government said a transport strike by the alliance Manibela failed to disrupt public transportation on Monday, even as the group stormed the office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to protest its public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program and the alleged corruption at the agency.

Members of the Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (Manibela) stormed the LTFRB central office on East Avenue, Quezon City, holding a 20-minute picket that triggered heavy traffic in the area.

“The credibility of the program [is in question]… it is clear that there is corruption in the implementation, and its aim is not to modernize the PUV,” Manibela president Mar Valbuena said.

The LTFRB has been rocked by allegations of corruption, leading President Marcos to suspend its chief Teofilo Guadiz III earlier this month.

Manibela also opposes the government’s Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation of traditional jeepneys as part of the PUV Modernization Program.

Valbuena earlier vowed to hold the “biggest transport strike the government would have ever experienced,” with at least 500 routes out of the total 785 routes in Metro Manila affected by the strike.

But the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the transport strike caused only “minimal” disruption to traffic and commuters.

“Based on our monitoring, there was no major disruption of public transportation in Metro Manila,” said MMDA acting Chairman Don Artes during a press briefing held at the MMDA Head Office in Pasig City.

“If the purpose of the strike is to paralyze public transportation, they have failed. But if their purpose is to attract attention, maybe they succeeded in that aspect,” he added.

Artes noted that there was a passenger buildup in some areas, which he described as “usual Monday morning foot traffic.”

Artes also refuted Valbuena’s claim that the government was intimidated by Manibela’s threats, prompting several local government units and schools to suspend classes.

“Our government cannot be held hostage by the threat of economic sabotage and inconvenience to the commuting public, especially if what you are demanding is wrong. Let’s remember